Home
by Animegirl1129
Summary: Merton's thoughts as he tries to rationaloze why he's returning to Pleasantville. Set during 'Thanks'. TM. Enjoy!


-Home-

**_Set on Merton's trip home from Heidelberg and his thoughts as he tried to rationalize where he's really going. Song belongs to Chris Daughtry. BWoC characters aren't mine either, if so it would have aired on HBO, or ShoTime or something. Dedicated to Chaperoned on LJ for fueling my desire to actually finish this fic. Enjoy!_**

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The idea of home had never really meant much to Merton. And who could blame him? The first seventeen years of his life were spent being picked on and abused by his classmates and ignored by his absent family. The whole concept was foreign to him, really.

So why did he find himself driving back toward Pleasantville when he'd only just escaped its confines?

_I'm staring out into the night  
trying to hide the pain  
I'm going to the place where love  
And feeling good don't ever cost a thing  
And the pain you feel's a different kind of pain_

He'd only left for Heidelberg a little less than three weeks ago and already he felt like he was losing his mind. Well, really he'd felt like that since he'd driven away in the hearse. It wasn't a mystery to him what was missing in what he would have once thought of as a home he could embrace.

The roommate he'd been paired up with, Dante Aldrich, was not a merciful human being and put T'n'T to shame in a matter of seconds, both in violence and intellect, though the latter was not that difficult of a task. Merton doubted the other boy would be so evil if he knew a werewolf was looking out for him.

It was an honor to be accepted into the school to study under Professor Flugelhoff. But, after his encounter with the older man earlier in the year, it was obvious that Flugelhoff still held a grudge.

His dreams of the overseas University had been before.

Before he'd met the best friend he'd ever have. Before he had Tommy in his life.

He hadn't spoken to the younger boy since he'd left. During their year together, it was odd for them to be out of contact with each other for hours, let alone days or weeks, but he still hadn't quite figured out the time difference between here and there. Sure, there had been the occasional email, but Tommy was busy moving into the dorms at State.

This left Merton desperately missing his best friend.

_Well I'm going home  
Back to the place where I belong  
And where your love has always been enough for me  
I'm not running from  
No, I think you got me all wrong  
I don't regret this life I chose for me  
But these places and these faces are getting old  
So I'm going home  
Well I'm going home_

He'd been daydreaming in his Lycanthropy 101 class when he first realized that this was not where he belonged. With his eyes closed, he doodled absentmindedly on the piece of paper in front of him, his mind still back in the Lair, with Tommy.

Every Friday they had their weekly movie night together. Lori never came, except for once, when she realized that she stood no chance of even being acknowledged when the two of them were immersed in some late night classic horror movie, or, when Tommy picked, the newest buddy film. They'd sit on the sofa in the Lair, with popcorn and pizza and sodas and just enjoy each other company. It was never awkward and there was never any pressure to fill the comfortable silence that fell between them. When they did talk, it was fun, easy, and playful. Or, if a fight had broken out recently, serious, calm, and meaningful. And Merton knew without being told that Tommy needed him as much as he needed Tommy.

He knew that there would more than likely be no one else who could accept his friend as what he was. Stacey had only wanted Tommy. Lori, the wolf. But, Tommy and the wolf were one in the same to Merton, and that's how he knew that his place was beside his best friend. Not across the globe.

That night he'd packed up his bags and started the long trek home.

_The miles are getting longer, it seems  
The closer I get to you  
I've not always been the best man or friend for you  
But your love remains true  
And I don't know why  
You always seem to give me another try_

After a nine-hour plane ride, he was finally closing in on his hometown. The hearse was overloaded with as much as he could carry, He'd ship the rest of it back later. He just needed to get to Tommy right now.

He knew he should probably stop to get some sleep, but he knew that was going to happen even if he did, so he just drove. If he kept going, he'd be there by noon tomorrow. The headlights bounced off of the trees as he passed further lighting the road already lit by the large moon overhead, and he silently wondered if Tommy was out running tonight, how he'd coped with the first full moon they'd spent apart.

As he neared Muhlenberg, one of the towns surrounding Pleasantville, and each mile seemed to drag on longer and longer than the least, his thoughts drifted back to the boy he was running to. Did Tommy even feel the same way? Would he want Merton as his mate? Or was this all just Merton's mind working overtime due to all the changes he'd been through lately?

Even with all of those doubts in his head, he didn't move to brake or turn around, because somehow he knew they were unfounded.

_So I'm going home  
Back to the place where I belong  
And where your love has always been enough for me  
I'm not running from  
No, I think you got me all wrong  
I don't regret this life I chose for me  
But these places and these faces are getting old_

It was almost ten in the morning before he arrived at State, and he was silently overjoyed that his parents had made him fill out an application here as well, as a fallback, they'd said. He'd never gotten around to telling the college that he wouldn't be coming, what with all the monsters hanging around and nearly dying.

When he'd sent in the forms, some eight months ago, before most of his near death experiences, he'd requested Tommy as a roommate, for no other purpose than that he wouldn't have to worry about some stranger figuring out his secret. And, his request had been approved, according to the room number assigned to him and the list of names for those students who'd already settled into their rooms.

_Be careful what you wish for  
'Cause you just might get it all  
You just might get it all  
And then some you don't want  
Be careful what you wish for  
'Cause you just might get it all  
You just might get it all, yeah_

Tommy was already moved in, Merton told himself, as he walked down the long hallway to the room they'd be sharing. He'd grabbed a few of the volunteers loitering around campus and enlisted them in helping him move the possessions he'd brought with him.

The large box was in the room before he was, thus blocking his view of his best friend. He made some off hand comment about Yoo-Hoos and wolfs-bane to one of the movers and the next thing he knew was staring at the one person he'd wanted to be with since he left. Then he was swept up in Tommy's arms and he really didn't care if the younger boy never let go of him again.

"You're here!" Tommy smiled, looking as if a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.

Merton nodded, holding tight. "Yeah. I missed you."

Without any further hesitation, Tommy closed the distance between them, pressing a soft kiss to his best friend's lips. The gesture seemed to be equally shock to both boys, but neither protested the move. "Missed you." The younger whispered, when they broke apart.

"I missed you, too."

_Oh, well I'm going home  
Back to the place where I belong  
And where your love has always been enough for me  
I'm not running from  
No, I think you got me all wrong  
I don't regret this life I chose for me  
But these places and these faces are getting old  
I said these places and these faces are getting old  
So I'm going home  
I'm going home_

And with that, Merton let out a sigh. He was home. Tommy was home.

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Okay... The ending wasn't my best, but t's nearly five in the morning and I need sleep. Reviews are loved. Hope ya liked! 


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